Budget!
The April 24 BOE meeting was primarily scheduled to vote on the final adoption of the 2025–26 budget. However, it opened with a lengthy presentation on the results of the recent referendum survey.

The budget passed with minimal discussion. The Business Administrator (BA) gave the exact same presentation he delivered back in March — the one that was largely overshadowed when the Township turned the meeting into a debate over the CMS lease.

Survey Says…
Is it good that the District is trying to engage the community? Absolutely.
Has a single survey so far been well-written or designed to elicit meaningful feedback? Not really.

This latest survey, answered by 534 people (including students), showed broad agreement that capital improvements are needed. Encouragingly, the lowest priority across the board was athletics upgrades. While our fields desperately need attention, it was reassuring to see the community prioritize improving academic achievement instead.

Still, while many respondents supported the idea of improvements, they were far less willing to support a referendum — at least without critical details like costs, tax impacts, and timelines. As Mrs. Joly pointed out, people can want upgrades, but no one should be expected to approve a blank check.

Following advice from their referendum consultant, the Board will be offering a second, more concise survey including actual cost estimates.
The referendum is tentatively scheduled for March 2026.

Where’s the Resolution?
A lot of confusion erupted over policy procedures. Since Policy 131 (which governs how policies are introduced and approved) is still missing, all policy updates and revisions were placed under “New Business.”

Board members clashed over whether they could legally vote to adopt a policy under this section. Ultimately, the Board attorney advised treating these as first readings, with a formal second reading and adoption scheduled for the next meeting under “Old Business.”

It remains unclear exactly who can place a policy on the agenda. For now, it seems that any BOE member can introduce a policy under “New Business” for first reading until Policy 131 is finalized.

Why Is the Township Two Years Behind on Sewer Bills?
The BA noted that he had reached out to the Township about the sewer billing process but received no satisfactory answers.

The acronym “EDU” (Equivalent Dwelling Unit) was mentioned repeatedly, though no one seemed to know what it actually meant at the meeting. After some research, an EDU appears to be calculated based on daily water usage per square foot, divided by 450 gallons.

The bigger issue? Massive confusion and lack of transparency from the Township.
For context:

• In 2021 and 2022, the District’s sewer bills were around $21,000.
• In 2023, the Township suddenly asked for $50,000 — with no clear explanation.

The Board agreed to investigate why the bill more than doubled, and whether the charges being demanded are fair — particularly given the missing documentation on how EDUs are being calculated for school properties.
The whole situation feels very shady.

Busing
The Board voted to set the 2025–26 subscription busing fee at $500 per student with a $750 family cap.

Mrs. Stanley voted no, explaining that she wanted to revisit the decision to strip away “hazardous road” free busing eligibility last year.
Nevertheless, the resolution passed.

Missing in Action?
Notably absent from the agenda: the reappointment of AJ as the Business Administrator.
There’s no public posting for the position either — so for now, we wait.

A KNACK for Beating Around the Bush
John has been repeatedly asking the BOE to follow through on Dr. Curtiss’ promise (made at the February 14 Parent Math Meeting) to offer tutoring for high school students.

Instead, what was announced last night (and quietly emailed out to parents last Friday) was the introduction of the KNACK program — a county-run tutoring service for students in grades 5–8.

While middle school students certainly need support (many families are already paying heavily for private tutoring), the District continues to miss the mark by not addressing the urgent need for high school academic support, especially after quietly dropping Building Thinking Classrooms and fully implementing the Flipped Classroom model. Families are left footing the bill just to keep students afloat.

About the KNACK program:

• Offered only to grades 5–8.
• Students are automatically enrolled unless parents opt out — but once opted out, students cannot opt back in.
• Tutors are students from Kean University and Union County College who have passed a background check (details pending) and maintain a 3.5 GPA.
• The program is virtual and free.

Upcoming Special Meeting
The Board has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday, May 1 at 6:30 PM.
Topics include:

• CSA (Superintendent) Evaluation
• 5-Year Strategic Plan
• BOE Online Self-Evaluation
• Superintendent Transition

In typical fashion, this meeting was scheduled at the same time as a CMS concert at GL for chorus and orchestra students.

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